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Copyright © 2010 Andrea Langworthy
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What has happened to customer service? It’s gone the way of the Edsel and rotary phone, I’m afraid. I haven’t been this upset since I had dinner with my siblings at a fancy new restaurant in a downtown hotel over 20 years ago. When the server spilled wine on my sister’s silk blouse and dribbled some down the back of my top, he never acknowledged his sloppiness. The piece of cake, though, was when I asked him about the chicken. “Lady,” he replied, “This ain’t Charlie’s Chicken Factory, it’s so-and-so’s Steak House.
Back then, it was difficult to get a reservation at many eateries but nowadays, with people eating out less and holding onto their money, service should be exemplary. Employers should demand their staff handle customers with kid gloves. If they don’t, there’s a long line of unemployed people looking for jobs. Why eat where you’re taken for granted or treated rudely? Why spend money at a business that doesn’t treat its customer like royalty?
When an owner doesn’t know the meaning of good service, tsk-tsk. Last month, I read a new flower shop had opened not far from here and ordered a wreath for our front door. The proprietor said it would be ready in a week; she’d call me. Two weeks later, my husband stopped to inquire if the masterpiece was done. Next week, he was told. Two weeks later, I left a voice message expressing my disappointment and started looking at other stores, afraid the next decoration on my door would have holly berries and a big red bow. A few days later, the woman with the new flower shop called to say if I still wanted it, the wreath was ready. No apology, no offer to deliver it, no price reduction.
It was almost as bad as my experience trying to get a new kitchen sink installed last fall. One plumber measured, gave me advice, but never called to tell me the price or when he could do the job. Another company sent a worker right away but now, I need to find someone to fix the counter he cracked and redo the Dap sealer around the sink. I complained to the owner that the worker’s hands had been so dirty, grime got into the sealer. Does hell have to freeze over before he shows up to fix his goof?
Recession, or not, it’s tough to do business with the yellow and blue-trimmed Big Box electronics’ store. You know the one, right? A place so huge no employee will ever find you to ask if you need help. Yet, you can always find them clumped in a corner as they regale each other with fun stories of the parties they attended the night before. The same store where salespeople brag they don’t work on commission. Tell me! I worked on commission for nearly 30 years. While I never used that as a reason to charge a customer too much — as the Big Box employees would have us believe — being on commission was an extra incentive to take good care of a client so the next time they need your product, they’ll ask for you by name and tell their friends and relatives to do the same.
We’re being told to tighten our belts in this economy but sometimes, we need to spend money. I would like to give my hard-earned bucks to people who want me to be satisfied. It’s called customer service and I wonder why it’s so hard to find.